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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26999719">Tent</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HonkBeep/pseuds/HonkBeep'>HonkBeep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Firebending &amp; Firebenders, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I mean, It can be if you want it to, Partially Blind Zuko (Avatar), Trauma, Zuko’s Scar, except for this isn’t that, omg they were tent mates, tent mates, use your imagination:)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:55:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26999719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HonkBeep/pseuds/HonkBeep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“ Slowly, he picked his hand up, contemplating whether or not to take the liberty that Zuko would never give him. It’s not like he would ever know, there was no way any nerves could possibly live underneath that mass of scar tissue, let alone ones sensitive enough to wake the prince. With feather-light softness, he allowed his fingers to ghost over his cheek.”</p><p>Sokka touches Zuko’s scar in his sleep. Shit goes down.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>298</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tent</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>as always, i shat this into my notes app and i am posting it with the philosophy of “hey it was fun to write maybe it will be fun to read” i dont accept constructive criticism but i still hope you enjoy and have a nice day :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s2">Sokka had been sharing a tent with Zuko for a while now. He was a good tent mate. He was neat, he always stayed on his own side, he was a quiet sleeper, and even though he was an early riser, he never bothered Sokka when he got up. Overall, Sokka was happy with the arrangement, but there was one thing that bothered him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka had grown up in the Southern Water Tribe, he was used to relying on others, staying close together, and sharing everything. Zuko had grown up in the Fire Nation. He had grown up a prince. He was very independent, used to having his own of everything and liked his personal space. Not that he was selfish or lazy, he was loyal to the group and more than willing to do his fair share to help everyone, but there was no sense of camaraderie in him. It didn’t feel like he did things to help the group, but to uphold his “honor” or whatever. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Not that it really bothered Sokka all that much. That was just Zuko, mostly. The one thing that did bother him was the fact that Zuko always slept with his back to him. Every night, without fail. It was like Zuko was trying to pretend he was alone. Was Sokka really that bad? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">One night, Sokka let his emotions get the better of him. “Why don’t you ever sleep facing me?” He asked as the fire prince was laying down. Zuko’s face flushed slightly and he scratched the back of his neck. “Oh, uh, I, it’s nothing personal. I just can’t really ... uh .... see that well .... on my left side, so I uh, I like to sleep with my weak side down. It’s not personal, I swear.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Oh, okay! That’s fine, I was just curious... G’night!” Sokka said awkwardly. “G’night.” Zuko mumbled and snuggled into his bedroll with his back to Sokka. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Embarrassment burned inside Sokka as he lay down. He hated bringing attention to Zuko’s scar. It was obvious that the fire bender didn’t like to talk about it and whenever anyone accidentally brought notice to it, awkwardness always ensued. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka would never ask Zuko about it, but he had secretly speculated a lot about how he’d gotten it. Maybe some kind of industrial incident on his ship? The scar was old. Maybe it was from childhood? He </span>
  <span class="s3">
    <em>was</em>
  </span>
  <span class="s2"> the son of the Fire Lord; it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that some firebending assassin decided he wanted him gone. He didn’t know what kind of an accident Zuko had been in, but the memory and the injury clearly still haunted the kid, and Sokka shuddered at the idea of being maimed so young. Zuko was no older than Sokka himself. He decided to stop thinking about it. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">A couple hours later in the middle of the night, Sokka woke up to movements from the person next to him. Zuko must be dreaming. The firebender rolled over and faced Sokka in his sleep. His scarred side was facing up. Sokka caught his breath. Zuko’s forehead was literally </span>
  <span class="s3">touching</span>
  <span class="s2"> the water tribesman’s chest. He could reach up and cradle him like a baby if he wanted to. The two boys had never shared so much touch before, especially when Zuko looked so vulnerable. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka imagined that the firebender looked pretty peaceful, and it was probably a lovely sight, but he could only see the warped scar tissue that reduced Zuko’s eye to a permanently angry slit. He imagined that his skin would be soft and his eyes would be expressive, like they were on the right, but it was just pink, mangled flesh. Sokka never had the opportunity to study the scar in this much detail before. Zuko would never let him do it if he were awake. He felt guilty, but pushed it down in favor of ogling the disfigurement some more. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Slowly, he picked his hand up, contemplating whether or not to take the liberty that Zuko would never give him. It’s not like he would ever know, there was no way any nerves could possibly live underneath that mass of scar tissue, let alone ones sensitive enough to wake the prince. With feather-light softness, he allowed his fingers to ghost over his cheek. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s3">
    <em>“AHH! Please! No! Get away from me!”</em>
  </span>
  <span class="s2"> Zuko’s eyes shot open for a second before he clutched his burned face and scrambled back, shying away, shielding himself from whatever attack he feared would come. Everything about him screamed panic, and even though he was saying “get away from me” it didn’t feel like it was Sokka who he was speaking to. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">The panic only lasted for a beat, and it disappeared as soon as it had come. His arm dropped from its defensive position and angry flames appeared in his hands. They flared with emotion. “Sokka! What the hell is the matter with you!” He demanded once he had gotten his bearings. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Sorry! I - uh -“ </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko clenched his fists, extinguishing the fire. “I don’t want to hear it!” He yelled. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko’s cries had woken the rest of camp, but it was Katara who made it to their tent first. “Zuko! What’s the matter? What happened?” She asked as Zuko was emerging from the tent, but he just brushed by her roughly. “Ask your brother.” He huffed and he stormed off. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Katara watched him go and then curiously poked her head in to see her brother looking seriously shocked. “Wait! Zuko! I’m sorry! Come back!” He yelled, and tried to push past Katara, but she held him back. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Let him go, Sokka, he doesn’t want to be around you right now, give him a moment to calm down.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka relented and cursed himself for his stupidity. How could he possibly think he could get away with touching Zuko’s scar?! The poor kid was defensive and distrustful enough as it is, how stupid did Sokka have to be to think that he would let his guard down! Not to mention how cruel it was. Zuko had clearly suffered at the hands of others before, and he made it clear that the scar was off limits. Yet Sokka had broken his fragile trust and took advantage of a weakness that had clearly been exploited before (why else would he be so deliberate about sleeping with his blind side down?) for his own personal gain. The Water Tribe warrior couldn’t stand himself. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He was also pretty shaken by the ordeal. Obviously not as much as Zuko, but the firebender had startled him with his intense reaction and bending. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“What was that all about?” Asked Toph. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">How was Sokka going to explain this to his friends? He was tempted to lie, to say that he accidentally touched his scar. They both were moving in their sleep, it just happened. Would Zuko even know it was a lie? He had been asleep. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">But Sokka didn’t want to dig himself into an even deeper hole. “Uh, well he ... rolled over in his sleep and got really close to me and I sort of ... touched his scar.” He looked down guiltily. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">There was a collective wince from the rest of the group. “Yikes. Poor sparky.” Toph sympathized. “He must be feeling really violated and scared right now.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I know,” Sokka sighed, “I feel terrible. I had no idea he would freak out like that. I should’ve known, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Don’t worry,” offered Aang. “I’m sure he’ll forgive you, he just needs some time to process what happened. Do you want one of us to go talk to him?” He took his conflict resolution Avatar duties seriously. But Sokka shook his head. “No, this is between me and him. I did this, and I’m gonna fix it.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">———————</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko found a secluded bit of cliff to sit on that overlooked the water. He tried to calm his racing heart by doing breathing exercises that Uncle had taught him, but they weren’t working. He was hurt, but also scared, but also guilty. He knew he scared everyone by yelling, but Sokka knew not to touch his scar. When he left the Fire Nation, he told himself that he would no longer allow himself to feel guilty for his scar. This didn’t make the guilt go away, but he was done apologizing for what his father had done to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He didn’t know how much time passed before he heard Sokka approaching. He heard, and not saw, him, because Sokka was coming up on his blind side. That blatant display of ignorance made Zuko tick with frustration, but he forced himself to play it cool. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Hey.” Said Sokka. Zuko pressed his lips together. “If you’re going to try to talk to me, you’re going to want to sit on my other side.” He said. He couldn’t tell how Sokka reacted to that, but he did get up and switch sides. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Hey.” Sokka tried again as he sat down. “Hey.” Said Zuko, looking out over the water. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I’m really sorry about it, Zuko, you know that, right?”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko gave a little glare. “Sorry about what, exploiting my weaknesses? Or is it because you broke my trust.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I -“ Sokka didn’t know what to say. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You’re not the first person to take advantage of me like that you know, but you were one of the last I would’ve expected it from.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka sputtered. He clearly cut the firebender deeper than he’d thought. “Zuko, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do any of that. I fucked up, I was wrong. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko’s little glare got a little deeper. “Well no shit!” He exclaimed, “What </span>
  <span class="s3">did</span>
  <span class="s2"> you mean to do? See for yourself just how fucked up I am? Because it’s a lot.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“No, Zuko, I don’t think you’re fucked up -“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko was unusually chatty tonight as he scoffed. “Don’t lie, that’s more insulting than anything.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">If Zuko wanted to talk, Sokka decided he would let him. “Do you think you’re fucked up?” He asked. Another scoff. “I </span>
  <span class="s3">know</span>
  <span class="s2"> I’m fucked up. I wasn’t </span>
  <span class="s3">born</span>
  <span class="s2"> with half my face seared off! I’ve been — ... things have happened to me.” That last sentence was less angry, more resigned and sad than the others. Sokka cautiously placeda hand on Zuko’s shoulder. The firebender shrugged it off and gave Sokka a sharp look. Ok, so they weren’t there yet...</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Sorry.” Said Sokka after a few moments. Zuko seemed to be quieting down now, giving Sokka the chance to speak. “I know you’ve had a lot of hard things in your life, and I know that I don’t know most of them.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko slightly nodded and looked out neutrally over the water, face unreadable. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka hung his head. “I should’ve been more respectful of your privacy. It was wrong of me to wonder about your scar.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">That little glare was back again, and oh god, he must’ve fucked up. “I’m not mad at you for wondering about my scar, Sokka, I’m mad at you for touching it while I was asleep! If you want to know the story behind my scar, I’ll tell it to you.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka perked up. “Really?” Zuko gave him an annoyed look. “I have a massive burn covering half my face. You’re not the first person to be curious. Don’t act so surprised. I know I’m a hothead but I’m not dumb.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka looked down. “Sorry, I just assumed it would be something that you’d want to keep private.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“It is, but it’s not like a member of the royal family can be disfigured at age 13 and expect people not to notice. The entire Fire Nation knows what happened to me. Besides, he made sure it wasn’t exactly a private event...” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka’s head was suddenly full of so many thoughts and anxieties. It felt like a swirling fishbowl. “Wait wait wait, slow down. Thirteen?!” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko refused to meet his eye, but he spoke casually. “Yeah, that’s how old I was when I was banished.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Wait, what? Those are related?” Sokka didn’t understand. Zuko had to be the victim of an assassination attempt, right? Who else other than an assassin would make sure the maiming of a child “wasn’t exactly a private event”? But then why was he banished? </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Yeah,” said Zuko. “They were punishment.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s3">Punishment?! </span>
  <span class="s2">Sokka was suddenly horrified. What had happened to this poor kid? “Who exactly burned you...” Sokka asked cautiously. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko looked away even harder. “Ozai.” He muttered. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka was speechless. His own father... he couldn’t imagine Hakoda doing anything like that. He loved and trusted his dad, Zuko didn’t get to trust anyone. “Why would he do that to you?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko’s face was cold. “Because he hated me. He still does. He hates me. He was trying to kill me. He always wanted to kill me.” Sokka caught his breath. “Why?!” An emotion other than anger finally colored his face. “I don’t know. He just thought I was an embarrassment. He burned me hoping to kill me, but I survived, so he banished me and told me I couldn’t come home until I captured the Avatar. None of us actually cared about the Avatar, he just wanted to keep me busy and I just wanted to go home.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka was shocked. He didn’t know what to say. “Zuko... I’m so sorry-“</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko cut him off with a glare. “I don’t want your pity, Sokka!” He barked. “And I don’t want you to treat me any differently now that you know what happened. And I don’t want you to tell anyone, either. It’s bad enough that my entire country thinks I’m a coward, I don’t want my only friends to think so too.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">If Sokka was shocked before then now he was absolutely reeling. “Coward?! Why, because your dad tried to kill you?!”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I wouldn’t fight him.” Zuko said curtly. “It was dishonorable. Well, I mean, I know it wasn’t, I was a kid and he had no business putting me in that situation, even if I did talk out of turn, but that’s not how they see it. He said I was a coward, so I am. I mean — I’m not, but ... you get the picture?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Zuko... that’s terrible.” Sokka wanted to reach out and hug the firebender, but he really didn’t think that would be received well. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Yeah, I know.” He still looked bitter and Sokka didn’t know what to say. He wanted to say sorry, but Zuko already said he didn’t want anyone’s pity. Finally, he settled on praise and admiration. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“I can’t imagine how difficult that was for you. You’re really strong to come out of that and be the person you are. I really respect you for that.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Those words did something to Zuko that Sokka had never seen before. He... softened. His eyebrows picked up and his eyes shone. The corners of his mouth picked up and he just looked ... soft. Sweet. A little shy even. Sokka felt like he was catching a glimpse of who he once was before all these terrible things happened to him. A gentle, kindhearted, quiet little boy with big gold eyes, a soft smile, and long, thick eyelashes that fluttered when he was coy. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Really? You really think that?” He asked. The concept of being praised seemed like a pleasant surprise to him. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Of course I think that.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Zuko’s eyes clouded over again and Sokka wanted to grasp at that soft, tender version of him before it slipped away, but he couldn’t. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“If you really think that, why did you go behind my back to try to find out about my scar? How can you possibly respect me and think I’m strong if you can’t ask a question like that to my face?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka started to feel defensive, clearly Zuko was still mad and he didn’t want to endure a barrage of words from him when he knew he fucked up. He opened his mouth to defend himself when Zuko asked a question that changed everything. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“Are you still scared of me?” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">And Zuko looked genuinely curious and vulnerable, and he looked at Sokka like he was waiting for a true answer. He wasn’t accusing, he was asking. And now Sokka had to answer. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He refused to lie to the prince, but he also didn’t want to hurt him anymore than he already had. He felt uneasy, but he answered. “A little bit.” He said. “I mean, I trust you, I don’t think you’re going to hurt us, but firebending still kind of freaks me out. I know you’re on our side, but it’s still scary sometimes.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Sokka remembered the flames that had jumped to life in Zuko’s hands when he’d woken up. He looked at Zuko to gauge his response, but the boy looked away. “Firebending used to freak me out too.” He said. He lit a small flame in his hand and played with it absentmindedly. “After I was burned, I was so afraid of fire that I couldn’t even light a candle with a match. I hated everything. I hated fire, I hated being blind, I hated myself. I hated how jumpy I was on my left side. I tried so hard to desensitize myself, I accidentally burned myself even worse a few times because I held fire so close to my face.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He let his fire wander to his blind side. The flames grew, but Zuko didn’t flinch, even as they licked centimeters away from his burnt skin. “I figured it out, though.” He said, letting his fire die. “I’m not scared of it anymore. I’ll always be cautious with it, but that’s because it </span>
  <span class="s3">is</span>
  <span class="s2"> dangerous. If I can figure out how not to be afraid of fire after everything that’s happened to me, I know you can too.” </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He paused, closed his eyes, and swallowed. “And if you can get used to firebending... then I can get used to people touching my face.”</span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">He turned so he was facing Sokka, eyes still closed, and leaned forward. “Do you want me to... are you sure?” Sokka stammered, but Zuko nodded. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">Cautiously, Sokka leaned in and reached out his hand. As soon as his fingertips graced the mangled tissue, Zuko’s folded hands erupted in fire. Sokka gasped and pulled back, but Zuko didn’t move. “I’m not going to hurt you.” He said. Sokka realized what was going on and cautiously returned his fingers to Zuko’s face. Zuko inhaled shakily at the contact. “...And you’re not going to hurt me.” He said more to himself than Sokka. </span>
</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p3">
  <span class="s2">“You’re right,” Sokka said and leaned forward into a hug. “I’m not.” </span>
</p>
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